Network Migration Planning

In the planning leading up to the migration to a new network infrastructure, or new facility, network administrators are coming to grips with the realization that the network endpoint landscape may have changed dramatically over the life of the current network, and that a more detailed approach to scheduling the migration might be merited. The deployment of many endpoint types beyond PCs and Laptops, many of which deliver specialized functions to the business are frequently discovered at this time. Facilities management systems such as HVAC and badge readers, Patient Care systems, SCADA, Robotics, and others are frequently collocated in the same IDF or network switch with back office computing devices . The discovery and documentation of these systems is a critical step in planning the capacity and function of the new network. Having a detailed understanding of exactly what is connected to the current network leads to a more detailed plan for the future network and provides the foundation for planning the migration to the new network once procured.

To best protect and deliver these services continuously throughout the network migration, many network administrators segment the endpoint population by function, location, and/or impact on the business so that at the time of the migration and understanding far more robust than the migration of a closet can be understood, planned for, and executed. Great Bay’s Beacon Endpoint Profiler automatically discovers all network-attached endpoints and allows the network administrator to divide and segment the endpoints as appropriate for that business or that project and provides a view of progress, impact, and scope in planning and executing a move to a new network infrastructure.